The Swede in me

Every time I return to Sweden, I’m struck by how homogeneous the population is. It is as comforting as it is entertaining. Everybody’s backyards are filled with the same new stuff – last year it was those big pools, the year before that large trampolines, and this year most people seemed to be remodeling or driving four wheelers around their drive ways – everybody watches the same shows on television and discusses the same social and political issues, everybody is dressed in a similar way and has similar haircuts, everybody cooks similar meals, and everybody has approximately the same habits. I’m exaggerating a bit, of course; I’m sure there are Swedes that are different, but in general, it’s still striking.

One of the most popular shows this year seemed to be Midsomer Murders, a British television series. When I was in Sweden this summer, every week I watched the show with my family, and if someone –anyone - called in the evening, it would always be, perfectly timed, during a Midsomer Murders commercial break.

When we got back to Egypt from our long summer leave, I discovered that one of our channels actually broadcasts Midsomer Murders every night, and even though the show was nothing spectacular – nothing I would usually spend my precious free time enjoying – I’ve been watching it a few times, because it reminds me of the evenings I had with my family this summer.

I don’t try to act like I fit in any more, when I go back to Sweden. I have lived away from the country far too many years to pass a genuine Swede. But when I visit I enjoy living the life of my family, and as much as I can, I do what they do and adopt their way of life and all that it entails. So back in Cairo, when I sit down to watch Midsomer Murders, I know I’m doing what a lot of Swedes do, and as silly and pathetic as it sounds; somehow, strangely, it makes me feel a little more Swedish.

(You'll find Midsomer Murders at 10:30 pm on mbc 4 on weekdays, as far as I have been able to work out)